Near the bridge, on the far side, early on, the houses of the well-to-do lined the bank. One had a tree growing through its center. The properties are owned by the I.O.O.F., the Odd Fellows. I would have liked to have ridden that road because as I said in a previous dispatch, I’m a bridle trail kind of gal.
We were pleased to discover that the trail has been well maintained and is frequented by numerous hikers; therefore, we didn’t have to saw up any logs. It was narrow in places, and there were drop-offs down to the river. This made me nervous. I dealt by doing as I did when we rode along the river in the Selway area – I simply looked at the wall when I began feeling anxious. Every so often I glanced at the river, which was wide and running fast. It was high because of the spring runoff.
We rode to the Medicine Bowl National Forest / BLM boundary. This boundary was marked by a silver metal gate that was falling apart. We came to three more gates before turning back – by then it was getting late.
Tyra isn’t yet at the point where I can open gates while riding her. So, because Pete had his hands full with Raudi and Hrimmi, I dismounted and did the honors.
We ate lunch at a sandy campsite along the river. I figured this would be a far better choice than, say, eating in the grass because this is where ticks linger. Nevertheless, upon arriving back in camp, I did a tick check on the horses and picked several off each one. Some had already burrowed through their hair and embedded themselves in their skin. Horses, I pointed out to Pete, can get Lyme’s Disease, adding that this is a good reason for remaining in Alaska.
Next: 166. 6/17/19: Hrimmi’s Injury |